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Like The White Stripes before them, Wolfmother sounds
both hip and retro at the same time. The quiver in vocalist Andrew
Stockdale's voice during "Mind's Eye" may have been
borrowed from Jack White. But then again, he might just have
inherited such vocal attributes from the Led Zeppelin/Robert
Plant projects in his classic rock record collection. Whatever
the case, however, this band is clearly the beneficiary of wisely
chosen musical influences.
Numerically, at least, (trio) Wolfmother fits neatly between Led
Zeppelin (quartet), and The White Stripes (duo). The four tracks represented
here all rock; but in a soulful hard rock way, rather than with heavy
metal's usual clinical soulless-ness. During "Dimension,"
for instance, drummer Myles Heskett's primal pounding drives
a groove, which -- if stripped down to its bare basics -- might just
pass for a Motown beat. Stockdale is at his Jack White-ist, if you
will, during "Love Train" when he sings many vocal parts
with a yearning falsetto.
Wolfmother's metallic tendencies are also spiked with notable progressive
leanings. This trait is especially expressed during "Mind's Eye,"
which goes into a Yes-like keyboard thing at one point. The
group's organ fills often offer up smile-inducing flashbacks to '70s
FM rock. With its long intro and pseudo-scientific title, "The
Earth's Rotation Around The Sun" has prog-rock graffitied all
over it.
It's not always obvious what Wolfmother is singing about here. Something
like "Dimension" may allude to drug experiences, for instance.
But then again, it may not be about drugs at all. "Love Train,"
however, finds Stockdale feeling the need to ride a more socially
positive vehicle. It's a little bit like The O'Jays, albeit
with guitars.
This brief recorded sampling reveals an act with an undeniable
taste for blood, which makes you wish there were just a few more
bands equally hungry like the Wolfmother.
-Dan MacIntosh
Track Listing:
1. Dimension
2. Mind's Eye
3. Love Train
4. The Earth's Rotation Around The Sun
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